Russia will send humans to moon by 2029

[Levina]

Russia will send humans to moon by 2029

ESA
Russia just announced that it is sending humans to the Moon
This is big.


JESSICA ORWIG, BUSINESS INSIDER
29 OCT 2015
recently told BBC News. “There are currently discussion at international level going on for broad cooperation on how to go back to the Moon.”

Both Russia and Europe have expressed interest in establishing a permanent base on the Moon. And they have already begun taking the fist steps toward this ultimate goal.

Last month, Roscosmos announced that it will send a lander, called Luna 25, to the Moon’s south pole in 2024. After touch down, the lander will investigate the lunar surface for future lunar bases.

The Luna 25 mission was initially proposed in 1997 and has since suffered a number of delays, but it seems that with Europe’s aid the mission could finally get the jump start it needs. Construction on the spacecraft has already begun, Tech Insider reported.

This collaborative effort is a welcomed contrast to the lonely space race of the mid–20th century. While Europe and Russia raise their collective eyes to the Moon, NASA continues its quest for a farther, more dangerous mission: Mars.

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Creating base in the outer space, earth is not enough for them. @jamahir and @thesolar65

 

[Akasa]

Does Russia have a plan to build a heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying a lander into lunar transfer orbit, or will they assemble the required pieces in space with multiple launches?

 

[Nilgiri]

Does Russia have a plan to build a heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying a lander into lunar transfer orbit, or will they assemble the required pieces in space with multiple launches?

Good question.

Maybe dust off the blueprints for the Energia

Energia in Vulkan configuration would be awesome.

 

[Akasa]

Good question.

Maybe dust off the blueprints for the Energia

Energia in Vulkan configuration would be awesome.

The Energia rocket doesn't have a second and third stage needed to boost a lunar vehicle into LTO.

 

[Nilgiri]

The Energia rocket doesn't have a second and third stage needed to boost a lunar vehicle into LTO.

S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - LAUNCHERS

Mass of payloads delivered to:

• low orbits of artificial Earth satellite - up to 100 t
• the geostationary orbit - up to 20 t
• the lunar mission trajectory - up to 32 t.

I bet it will be even more with the Vulkan extra boosters (basically augment the booster stage)....given the LEO estimate for that was 175 t.

No upper stage for boost is thus required (just the regular thrusters for corrections), especially if a mission analysis is done for gravity assist from earth using onboard boosters (if thats needed at all depnding on the final mass of lander/module).

An option could be like you said to launch the lander seperately if mass is an issue for non-Vulkan Energia.